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SMDHU offers information on monkeypox

June 16, 2022   ·   0 Comments

You may have heard reports about rising cases of Monkeypox in Canada and other places in the world.

It may have an unusual and rather exotic sounding name, but it is a real virus that may be a threat, although it is not highly dangerous.

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is offering information about the disease including symptoms, transmission, and what to do if you think you have been infected.

There have been no cases of the Monkeypox reported in Simcoe Muskoka. As of June 3, there have been 77 reported cases across the country.

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by the Monkeypox virus – the same family as smallpox, though typically it is less severe.

Its symptoms include a flu-like appearance such as fever and chills and a rash that will develop within a few days.

There is no proven treatment but it usually goes away on its own. However, in the past, death has occurred in up to ten per cent of cases.

The good news is Monkeypox does not spread easily between people.

Person-to-person transmission may occur through sexual or intimate contact with an infected person, contact with clothing or linens used by an infected person, direct contact with Monkeypox skin lesions or scabs, and respiratory transmission from an individual with Monkeypox.

The virus enters the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract or the mucous membranes.

Monkeypox is usually a mild illness with most people recovering on their own after a few weeks. People typically develop symptoms five to 21 days after being exposed to the virus. Symptoms occur in two stages and typically last from two to four weeks.

In stage one, symptoms may include, fever, chills swollen lymph nodes, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, back pain, and exhaustion.

During stage two, a rash develops, usually within one to three days after the fever starts. The rash can last between 14 and 21 days and changes through different stages before finally forming a scab which later falls off.

To manage the disease, you’re pretty much on your own as there is currently no proven or safe treatment.

If you develop symptoms, you should visit your doctor.

The good news, is that while it’s making the news, it is not currently a threat in the region.

By Brian Lockhart

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